Date:         Tue, 21 Mar 2023 18:58:34 -0700
Reply-To:     Bruce Todd <beeceetee@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bruce Todd <beeceetee@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Considering some big repairs and upgrades
In-Reply-To:  <1321883007.1905998.1679445003951@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

I have to agree with David - the climate cards are on the table and we are
seeing weather related extremes throughout the world and many of our
communities have already been impacted.  Change is required for the
survival of this planet as we know it.

On Monday the U.N. intergovernmental panel on climate change just released
a pretty sobering report saying there is basically very little time
remaining to keep temperatures from rising above 1.5 C degrees.  The good
news is that there is time left still to slow the temperature rise however
the bad news is the huge sacrifice, social change and cost to alter our
dependency and need for coal, oil and gas.  I guess the really bad news
will be the state of the world if we choose to do nothing or leave our
actions for too long.

We are at a crisis and so government will have to lead the way for the
short term by enacting very difficult and controversial policy.  Our
economy will see a complete change and disruption as industry and society
unwillingly shifts to using cleaner energy sources.

Personally I have begun investing in electric - we recently replaced our
aging gas furnace with a heat pump system and received some fairly
significant energy rebates to offset those expenses.  We also replaced our
gas stove with electric knowing this was the way of the future.  The hot
water tank is gas - but is 2 years old and will be swapped out once it’s
ready for renewal.  We had been planning a renovation for a number of years
and took advantage of these changes as part of the work.

Currently we own 3 gas powered vehicles - a Buick Enclave, Audi A-4 Avant
and the Syncro Vanagon.  The Buick will be replaced with an Ioniq 5 this
summer - it has been on order for almost 2 years.   A good portion of the
cost of this vehicle will be offset by the rising price of fuel and the
reduction in maintenance and servicing.  The Ioniq 5 will be our main
vehicle for errands and for my wife to drive to work.  The Audi will remain
as our long range gas vehicle but won’t be replaced when it eventually
costs too much to fix.  It is an older model and I don’t put a lot of miles
on it as I am close to work and tend to walk to work when the weather
warms.  It will be a hard car to let go as it has lots of power and drives
very nicely.  The Syncro is being completely rebuilt ( such a crazy plan!)
 well the body and suspension anyway - hoping the work to be completed this
summer.  Not sure what will happen to it as my plan was to keep for another
20 or so years and I am banking on industry to supply an electric
alternative to the waterboxer once it finally sputters its last gas
emitting breath.

Anyway the story Dennis sent will be much more commonplace and possibly
rather tame in relation to the protests both for and against carbon
producing energy as the issue heats up!

Bruce

On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>  Dave, this is gonna be a robust discussion for sure!  Everybody....just
> state your mind, don't be shy....this is how we gain perspective on the
> whole matter.
>
>     On Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 04:53:12 PM PDT, David McNeely <
> davmcneely40@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  I fully support the transition to electric vehicles.  I fully support any
> legal actions that local, state, and federal government take to hasten the
> transition.  Right now, my main personal transportation is a 2006 Toyota
> Prius.  I will keep it so long as it continues to provide the service I
> need, because the environmental (and monetary) cost of replacing it with
> new, even electric, are greater than keeping it.  I continue to use my
> camper for the reasons I have it, but if I could replace it with electric,
> I would.  I look forward to the EV Buzz, and hope that by the time it comes
> here, it will have improved range.  If I can get a camper conversion of it
> or something like it, I will.
>
> Right now, the camper needs a few thousand dollars of maintenance.  I am
> mulling the trade-offs involved.  Some queries about that:
> 1.  Stainless steel coolant pipe kit:  How important?  My camper has
> (installed 2 years ago) the GoWesty stainless inserts in the plastic pipe
> ends. No leaks there.
> 2.  Metal coolant pressure tank:  How important?  Or just a new plastic
> one?  The current one has not ruptured or anything drastic, just leaking at
> the cap.
> 3.  I put on all new fuel lines in 2008.  Is it time to do that again?
> Ditto coolant hoses.
>
> David McNeely
> 4.  Antifreeze is bright blue and perfectly clear.  Do I need new when
> redoing coolant system?
>
>
>
>